What Is the Chinese Zodiac?

Each winter, many people from Asian countries and their diasporas around the world celebrate Lunar New Year. For the Chinese, it not only marks the passage of time, but it also means getting a new animal to represent the year. For example, 2026 is the year of the horse. (More specifically, it is the year of the fire horse.)

How is each year’s animal selected? It comes from the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. But this system does much more than pair animals with years; it’s an important part of Chinese culture and a tool to gain insights into the past, present and future.

Based on the lunar calendar, the Chinese zodiac (known as “Sheng Xiao” or “Shu Xiang” in Mandarin Chinese) annually rotates through 12 animal signs. “Each cycle follows the same, specific order of the animal signs,” says Vicki Iskandar, a Chinese astrology and feng shui expert who wrote The Chinese Five Elements Oracle. “Lunar New Year is a celebration honoring the new animal sign of the year.”

The animals of the Chinese zodiac, in order, are: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat (sometimes listed as sheep), monkey, rooster, dog and pig. Beyond these symbols, the Chinese zodiac associates each year with one of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal and water. The animals and elements are on a 60-year cycle, meaning that various combinations—like fire horse—only occur once every 60 years. Each animal and element is linked to specific traits and qualities.

“While the year of the horse comes every 12 years, just looking at the horse itself will not give the full picture of one’s personality or qualities of the year as each horse year will be different in nature according to the element…that accompanies the year,” Iskandar says.

According to Iskandar, the 12 animal signs did not originate with the zodiac. The characters have been around for more than 3,500 years as part of the Xia calendar, created during the Xia dynasty (circa 2070–1600 B.C.). “The five elements themselves are even older in origin, with the Yellow Emperor, Huangdi, credited as the creator of the five-element theory around 2697 B.C.,” Iskandar says.

The animals first appeared as part of the Chinese zodiac during the Han dynasty (206 B.C.–A.D. 220) to make it easier for the public to learn the system and keep track of time, Iskandar notes. “The introduction of the 12 animal signs popularized Chinese astrology,” she explains. “They remain a significant part of Chinese culture today despite the Chinese government officially adopting the Gregorian calendar in 1912.”

There are multiple legends explaining how the Chinese zodiac’s 12 animals were chosen as well as their position in the cycle. The best-known origin story recounts a mythological race between animals. The Jade Emperor, the ruler of Heaven, wanted to make it easier for humans to remember the 60 timekeeping combinations of the 10 heavenly stems and the 12 earthly branches. To determine which animals to include in his zodiac calendar, he hosted what became known as the Great Race (also called the Heavenly Gate Race). Its outcome set the order of the signs.

“In the race, the rat managed to outsmart the other 11 animals with its wits by catching a ride with the ox, who was leading the race toward the Heavenly Gate,” Iskandar explains. “The rat jumped ahead of the ox before the finish line to win the race.”

As with all folklore, proving its accuracy is challenging. However the Chinese zodiac originated, it became an influential tool for many.

The system was initially used to track time and predict the future, says Sijia Yao, an assistant professor of Chinese language and culture at Soka University of America. Iskandar notes that royalty and leaders depended on it as much as agricultural workers. “The traditional Chinese calendar was originally used by kings, emperors and warlords as a tool to select auspicious days for important events such as inaugurations, official ceremonies and weddings,” she explains. Farmers relied on it to mark the change of seasons and plan their work accordingly.

Today, the Chinese zodiac is primarily an astrological tool used to gain insights into one’s personality traits and determine their compatibility with others. According to Iskandar, some animal signs are revered, while others are feared. “For example, the dragon is the sign that commands the most reverence in Chinese astrology,” she says. “People born in the year of the dragon are seen as powerful, strong, intelligent and blessed with success and good fortune.”

As with the Western zodiac, the Chinese zodiac is sometimes taken into consideration in romantic partnerships. “Some families consult zodiac compatibility—like Rat pairing with Ox—for marriage,” Yao says.

Others even lean on the zodiac as a family planning tool. “There are parents who carefully plan their conception and delivery taking into account…the animal sign of the year…to ensure the best luck for their child,” Iskandar explains. Unsurprisingly, dragon years are the most popular years to give birth in China. The horse—a symbol of wildness, freedom, flirtation and a rebellious nature—is less popular with parents, she notes. “There are [also] parents who choose the animal sign of their child based on compatibility with their [own] signs,” Iskandar says.

According to Yao, the Chinese zodiac’s long history gives Chinese people a sense of cultural belonging. Whenever there is an emphasis on reviving traditional Chinese customs, she says, the Chinese zodiac is a natural thing to promote.